I sometimes don't get the multi dan black belt person. If they are good at what they do and know all of the techniques, katas etc, yes, but as somebody mentioned in a different reply thread that it seems strange to have multi dans in different martials arts when someone has only trained for a couple of years.

For example: I have just come back from the U.S Open held at Orlando where the under 13 winner on night of the champions had 3 differnet black belts in three different martial arts, how can that be?

I sometimes don't get the multi dan black belt person. If they are good at what they do and know all of the techniques, katas etc, yes, but as somebody mentioned in a different reply thread that it seems strange to have multi dans in different martials arts when someone has only trained for a couple of years.

For example: I have just come back from the U.S Open held at Orlando where the under 13 winner on night of the champions had 3 differnet black belts in three different martial arts, how can that be?

See, and in this, that is something that would set off alarms. Even if someone wanted to argue that the child started at 6, and has been training for 7 years, we still get into the problem of child black-belts.

I sometimes don't get the multi dan black belt person. If they are good at what they do and know all of the techniques, katas etc, yes, but as somebody mentioned in a different reply thread that it seems strange to have multi dans in different martials arts when someone has only trained for a couple of years.

For example: I have just come back from the U.S Open held at Orlando where the under 13 winner on night of the champions had 3 differnet black belts in three different martial arts, how can that be?

'cause it's crapola?

It was a given in my first Japanese/Okinawan karate dojo that the guy who came in with a bb from a similar Japanese/Okinawan style would advance faster than the rest of us - given he knew well how to spar, sd, all the strikes etc - but he did have to test, just the same. It was expected that serious people would "round out" their karate with another bb, typically Judo.

I've found it hard to advance in most systems because it's too much work to bother learning their (often stupid) kata. And there's no BJJ or Judo around.

"Preparing mentally, the most important thing is, if you aren't doing it for the love of it, then don't do it." - Benny Urquidez

Slightly irrelevant, but when I was a child I was under the impression that karateka took the black belts of the enemies they vanquished.

More on point however, I've talked with instructors who argued that people should "restart" their training when switching over to their schools since there's a slight difference in training styles. While I can see how an instructor could worry that he/she would have to reteach certain things I fail to comprehend how this would be more difficult than reteaching an entire system.

Judo and Wrestling are vastly different as those above have pointed out. However, hasn't time shown that those coming from a Wrestling background have an easier time transitioning to Judo than those starting from scratch?

It seems to me that so many stand up styles are so similar that if you get one legitimate BB you can easily go from one style to the next collecting additional belts. That isn't going to do much other than make your resume look impressive to some one who doesn't know any better though. For the most part I think belts are nonsense; with the exception of a very few styles they're nothing but a status symbol that can be earned by pretty much anyone regardless of whether or not they can fight. The only belts that matter to me are big and shiny and the only way to get them is to kick the ass of the guy that had it before you.

It seems to me that so many stand up styles are so similar that if you get one legitimate BB you can easily go from one style to the next collecting additional belts. That isn't going to do much other than make your resume look impressive to some one who doesn't know any better though.

That first point makes sense if the second art is similar to the first. It would also hod true with someone who is just good at getting their body to do what they want it to do.

Originally Posted by From Bell2Bell

For the most part I think belts are nonsense; with the exception of a very few styles they're nothing but a status symbol that can be earned by pretty much anyone regardless of whether or not they can fight. The only belts that matter to me are big and shiny and the only way to get them is to kick the ass of the guy that had it before you.

Technically, they are status symbols. For the most part, from my understanding, their purpose it to show the level of knowledge and proficiency, from that art, that the person has attained.

At my TKD school, my instructor would recognize a new student's belt from another style, but they'd be held there until they learned the lower-belt stuff (i.e. forms). If they were quite high up, then they might test based on what someone their rank should know (say red belt) and white through green.

I always take belts to mean first and foremost the person knows everything below them (so that covers crappy fighters, injuries, and people who've had age pass them by).

If I read a resume that said someone had 3 or 4 black belts, I'd expect them to be able to show me a significant chunk of everything from each style...I'd wager I'd be disappointed most of the time.

My son started TAGB TKD at 6, recieved his obligatory B/B at 9. He is due to test for his 2nd dan now, after 4 years, he doesn't see the point but continues to go once a week for the fun of it.

Just before getting his B/B we, as parents, began to worry that being a B/B might make him a target in high school and decided to step up his training with something a bit more full-on. As there was an ex-world champion in kickboxing on the doorstep we went to see him.
5 years later he is training Muay Thai 2-3 days a week with several full contact fights under his belt.

Now all the site advocate needing groundwork, so an invite from a local Ju-jitsu club seemed to fit the bill. 2.5 years of complient training later his 2nd B/B (junior) was aquired. After 4 years of training be became bored with the complient training. I looked to Bullshido (& others) and found that another champion taught down the road, this time in Judo. 6 months later he is 5 mon and trains in the adult class.

We have not gone out to collect belts but to give my son a well rounded martial arts education, belts tend to come with the territory.